Water companies who broke environmental rules are now funding the
recovery of England's waterways, as local communities and
environmental groups are being put in the driving seat to clean
up rivers, lakes and seas.
The government is reinvesting £29 million from water company
fines into local projects which clean up our
environment – funding over 100 projects which will
improve 450km of rivers, restore 650 acres of natural habitats
and plant 100,000 new trees.
This includes doubling funding for
catchment partnerships – community-led groups that
work to improve waterways in their local area – giving
them £1.7m per year over the next two years. This
is part of the government's commitment to give
communities greater influence over water environment planning and
decision-making.
The money will also support the Water
and Abandoned Metal Mines Programme and
Water Environment Improvement
Fund, supporting projects to restore
habitats, improve water quality and
tackle pollution
at source. The additional funding
is expected to attract at least
a further £11m from private
sector investment.
Water Minister Emma Hardy said:
We are taking decisive action to fix our water industry by
holding companies to account. We're making them
pay and putting the money back into restoring our
rivers, lakes and seas.
We've already introduced powers which blocked bonuses
for polluting water executives and secured £104 billion to fix
crumbling infrastructure.
Now we're backing local communities, who know their waterways
best, by doubling the funding they receive. This is a
key part of our Water White Paper which sets out a long-term
vision to shift from clearing up pollution to preventing it in
the first place.
It comes as the government launches a once-in-a-generation
plan to overhaul Britain's water system through the Water White
Paper. Reformed regional planning will be at the heart
of the system - empowering the people who know their local
environment best to lead the recovery by putting prevention
first.
This approach will be underpinned by a new Regional Water
Planning Steering Group, bringing councils, water companies,
farmers, and developers together
to facilitate joined-up local plans to tackle
river pollution, water resources and housing growth -
protecting communities and delivering better value. The group
will launch this year in 2026 to test the
reformed approach before rollout from 2027.
These reforms are part of the government's forward-looking
approach, giving clear focus through a new single
water regulator that will prioritise stopping problems
before they happen.
The additional funding
for catchment partnerships will build on the
success of previous projects:
-
On the River Petteril in Cumbria, farmers worked with United
Utilities, Natural England, Network Rail and the
Eden Rivers Trust through the Eden Catchment
Partnership to reduce phosphate levels – improving water
quality, enhancing biodiversity and reducing flood
risk. Funding was provided by United Utilities, Network Rail
and government via the Countryside Stewardship scheme, and
the results demonstrate how knowledge and
information sharing across partner organisations can deliver
benefits from multiple angles.
-
The Nene Valley Catchment Partnership's work to build
better communities through nature in urban areas –
specifically at Foot Meadow Island, an area of green space
within the Northampton Enterprise Zone. The space
had been largely abandoned by residents due to
its recent characterisation as a space for antisocial
behaviour. Encouraging residents to get
involved in improvements both
for the community and for habitat on the
adjacent River Nene is creating a better place to live
and instilling a sense of ownership which means people will
continue to look after their stretch of the river into the
future.
-
Collaborative working between the Environment Agency,
National Trust, and farmers to bring nature-based solutions
to tackle climate change in the Porlock Vale in
Somerset. Through unique river restoration and habitat
creation techniques, 10km of river channel were restored and
reconnected to the floodplain, helping to reach a 38%
reduction in flood peak. Two beaver families were introduced
to the river, and they have already developed the sites into
complex wet woodland habitats. This project achieved £3
million in match funding following an initial £500k
investment.
The Water White Paper marks a
once-in-a-generation reform for Britain's water
system, prioritising clean water, fair bills, and long-term
investment for infrastructure.
